U.S. men released from Iran jail arrive in Oman

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, U.S. men released from Iran jail arrive in Oman, 21 September 2011, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4e8973f71e.html [accessed 4 March 2015]

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Last updated (GMT/UTC): 21.09.2011 12:25

By RFE/RL

Two U.S. men who were released from an Iranian prison after being held for more than two years have landed in the Omani capital of Muscat, where they were reunited with their families.

Earlier, the families of Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, who are both 29, described the release as "the best day in [their] lives."

The men's safe passage out of Iran was followed quickly by statements from U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who thanked the governments of Oman, Iraq, and Switzerland for helping to negotiate the release.

Clinton also expressed gratitude for the efforts of "those inside Iran who pushed for justice."

Iran's judiciary denied last week that the release was imminent, saying that the matter was under review. But the judiciary confirmed on September 21 that Bauer and Fattal would be released from prison after the bail payment was received.

The U.S. government denies that Bauer, Fattal and Shourd were spies.

Amnesty International called the men's release "a long overdue development".

Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, the group's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said, "All available evidence strongly suggests that the Iranian authorities have known all along that these men were not spies and should have been released."